Recent Nuclear Verdicts Highlight Danger of Punitive Damages - In October and November 2023, four separate products liability trials ended with large plaintiff verdicts. Three of these verdicts were against Monsanto in...more
Here are curated AG and federal regulatory news stories highlighting key areas in which state and federal regulators’ decisions are having an impact across the US: • Minnesota AG Investigates Student Loan Debt Relief...more
Virginia AG Jason Miyares reached an $80 million settlement with Monsanto Co. to resolve allegations that the company’s distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) caused environmental contamination in the state....more
On August 15, 2023, the Missouri Supreme Court in State ex rel. Monsanto Co. v. Mullen, No. SC99942 (Mo. Aug. 15, 2023) (en banc), clarified competing interpretations of Mo. Rev. Stat. 508.010.5(1) (2016) with regard to the...more
For almost nine years, Haitao Xiang, a Chinese national and U.S. resident, had worked for Monsanto, Co in St. Louis as a research application engineer specializing in hyperspectral imaging technology. As with most jobs of...more
The Delaware Supreme Court heard arguments in late March in a lawsuit on appeal by the State of Delaware seeking to hold Monsanto as a manufacturer responsible for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that have contaminated...more
The Biden administration called for regulatory changes this Wednesday to encourage voluntary conservation projects on private land, partly by shielding owners from punishment if their actions kill or harm small numbers of...more
The Biden administration today finalized its definition of which wetlands and waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act. The rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers...more
The Superior Court of Delaware in a July 11th Opinion addressed issues arising out of a damage action filed by the State of Delaware (“State”) against a manufacturer of polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”). See State of...more
Here are this week’s curated AG and federal regulatory news stories highlighting key areas in which state and federal regulators’ decisions are having an impact across the US: •Bipartisan AG Coalition Urges Passage of...more
Delaware Superior Court Judge Mary M. Johnston granted a motion to dismiss in favor of Defendants Monsanto Company, Solutia, Inc. and Pharmacia LLC in a lawsuit filed by Delaware AG Kathleen Jennings regarding claims stemming...more
EPA sets stringent standards for PFAS in drinking water Bullet E&E News - June 15 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 15 announced new drinking water “health advisories” for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl...more
EPA directs states to steer new water infrastructure funding to disadvantaged areas - Bullet M Live – March 9 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday issued a memorandum to guide billions of dollars in...more
Commercial transactions often involve parties from different states. When a dispute arises between diverse parties, the question of whether a party can obtain personal jurisdiction over a defendant becomes critical. This...more
Texas Attorney General Files Third Amendment in Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google (Texas) - In December 2020, Texas led 17 states in an antitrust suit against Google, which argues that the company abused its monopoly power in...more
On October 19, 2021, Chief Judge Richard Seeborg of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California narrowed the claims in a putative securities class action asserting claims under the Securities...more
Biden administration to restore climate criteria to NEPA - The New York Times – October 6 - The Biden administration on Wednesday announced that it would restore climate change protections to the nation’s bedrock...more
New figures coinciding with last week’s banner jobs report showed that employers “once again posted a record number of job openings in June,” (some 10.1 million, up from 9.5 million in May), but they also saw companies making...more
Big Tech earnings are in, and BIG remains the operative modifier. Apple saw its profits almost double in Q2, Microsoft had its most profitable quarter ever, and Alphabet’s revenue rose an incredible 62% compared to a year...more
On June 4, 2021, 57 Texas High Plains wine grape growers filed suit in Jefferson County District Court seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Bayer-Monsanto and BASF. The suit alleges that the chemical giants...more
In a six-page order focusing on “the most glaring flaws,” U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of San Francisco today denied preliminary approval to a proposed class action settlement of all future claims against Monsanto by...more
This week, we take a close look at an appeal from the first jury trial in a flood of litigation alleging that a popular pesticide causes cancer. EDWIN HARDEMAN V. MONSANTO COMPANY - The Court affirms a jury verdict...more
DOJ to let companies pay for environmental projects again to reduce fines - The Hill – February 5 - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has eliminated nine Trump-era directives on environmental law enforcement, including...more
Last year Bayer announced a plan to settle lawsuits alleging injury due to exposure to Roundup™. Lawsuits alleging injuries related to pesticide exposure, such as the lawsuits involving Roundup™, are not new, and they are...more
PE-backed Inspire Brands is in negotiations to take over Dunkin’ Brands Group, the parent of both Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins, in a deal valued at nearly $9 billion. Inspire includes Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John’s among...more